Missouri gets $1 million to expand truck parking along I-70

JEFFERSON CITY — Missouri has received a $1 million federal grant to build more parking spots for trucks along Interstate 70.

The Missouri Department of Transportation said Tuesday that it is working to identify sites for additional truck parking and hopes to begin construction by late 2012.

Commercial truck drivers must abide by federal limits on the length of time that they can be on the road. The rules are intended to reduce driver fatigue.

In the past several years, Missouri already has doubled the number of truck parking places it offers along interstates. But the department said it must continue adding spots because the number of commercial vehicles on I-70 is forecast to double by 2030.